URA arrests top phone smuggler in downtown Kampala

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against illicit smartphone trade after arresting a key suspect in downtown Kampala.

Team One Enforcement arrested the suspect during a targeted operation that intercepted a large consignment of illegally imported mobile phones.

URA estimates that the seizure could recover more than Shs500 million in taxes and penalties once investigations end.

Enforcement officers say the illegal trade thrives through disguised shipments and refurbished stolen phones that flood the city’s busiest markets.

Kampala’s electronics hub, stretching from Kampala Road to Luwum Street, has become a hotspot for suspiciously cheap smartphones. Devices often appear before distributors announce new shipments, while backrooms fill with boxes bearing foreign barcodes.

URA says smugglers now use creative concealment methods, such as hiding phones in clothes, power bank casings, and hollowed-out laptops.

Others use long-distance buses as mobile vaults, while motorcycle couriers weave through traffic to avoid detection. A growing tactic known as “human warehousing” involves groups of individuals each carrying small quantities of phones across borders in coordinated waves.

“As transformational warriors, we shall not drop the baton until the phone market is cleaned of these economic saboteurs,” said Alex Murungi, an officer, reaffirming URA’s commitment to sustained enforcement.

URA warns that illegal trade denies government revenue, destabilises genuine importers, and exposes consumers to counterfeit or stolen devices with no warranties.

During verification, officers recovered 4,371 phones, including Nokia button models and Samsung Galaxy devices.

URA says it will continue improving tax policies, streamlining import systems, and using advanced enforcement to counter increasingly tech-savvy smuggling networks.